Definition: Number of hospital discharges for non-fatal unintentional injuries among children and youth ages 0-20, by age group (e.g., in 2014, there were 2,319 hospital discharges for non-fatal unintentional injuries among California children ages 13-15).Number of hospital discharges for non-fatal unintentional injuries per 100,000 children and youth ages 0-20, by age group (e.g., in 2014, there were 151.7 hospital discharges for non-fatal unintentional injuries per 100,000 California children ages 13-15).

Footnote: County-level data reflect the patient's county of residence, not the county in which the hospitalization occurred. The leading causes of unintentional non-fatal injuries among children/youth are falls, motor vehicle accidents, and being struck by an object. LNE (Low Number Event) refers to rates that have been suppressed because there were fewer than 20 hospital discharges for non-fatal unintentional injuries. N/A means that data are not available. Use caution when comparing rates presented on kidsdata.org, which are based on Dec. 2014 population estimates, with those reported by the California Dept. of Public Health, which are based on Nov. 2012 estimates.

Learn More About Injuries

Measures of Injuries on Kidsdata.org

Injuries data on kidsdata.org are based on hospital discharges for non-fatal injuries among children and young adults ages 0-24. These include:

More than 8 million children and youth are treated for non-fatal injuries in U.S. emergency rooms each year, and more than 200,000 require hospitalization (1, 2). For some, injury can lead to chronic pain, permanent disability, depression, and decreased ability to participate in educational and social activities (1). Family members often must care for an injured child, which can cause stress and lost income (1). Considering medical and other expenses, work loss, and reduced quality of life, unintentional injuries among children in the U.S. cost more than $200 billion yearly (1).

Intentional injuries, such as assault or self-inflected harm, though less common than unintentional injuries, still are among the leading causes of non-fatal injury hospitalization among children and youth ages 0-19, statewide and nationally (2, 3).

Firearm injuries, which may be intentional or unintentional, disproportionately affect young people. In 2014, youth ages 15-24 represented less than 15% of the U.S. population but accounted for more than 40% of all non-fatal firearm-related injuries (2).

There were 25,579 hospital discharges for non-fatal injuries among California children and youth ages 0-20 in 2014. The statewide rate of hospital discharge for injuries among children/youth decreased by more than 40% between 1993 and 2014, from 412 to 237 per 100,000. Among counties with data in 2014, the injury hospitalization rate ranged from 145 (Marin) to 375 (Amador).

Discharge rates for unintentional injuries, which account for the majority of all injury hospitalizations among California children/youth, have fluctuated in recent years, but are lower than 1993 levels. This is true overall and among all age groups but infants under age 1, whose rates have remained relatively constant: In 1993 infants had the second lowest rate of discharge for unintentional injuries (273 per 100,000) among age groups, whereas in 2014 they had the highest rate (265 per 100,000). The statewide rate for intentional injuries is highest among youth ages 16-20, followed by children ages 13-15.

In 2014, non-fatal firearm injuries accounted for 1,152 hospital discharges among California children and young adults ages 0-24 (8.8 per 100,000), down from more than 5,000 (43 per 100,000) in 1991. In 2014, boys and young men were discharged for firearm injuries at more than ten times the rate (15.8 per 100,000) of girls and young women (1.4 per 100,000), and the rate of discharge among African American/black youth (53.6 per 100,000) was more than six times higher than for any other group with data. Across demographic groups, assault is the most common cause of non-fatal firearm injury in California.

Policy Implications

Injuries among children and youth are a serious and costly public health concern. Most unintentional injuries are predictable and preventable, and many can be addressed by policies and programs focused on safety (1). Intentional injuries, often occurring as a result of violence, also can be prevented through multi-level approaches directed towards individuals, families, schools, and communities (2, 3).

Policy and program options that could reduce injuries among children and youth include:

Preventing child maltreatment by ensuring that children have safe, stable, and caring relationships with parents and caregivers, e.g., by supporting evidence-based efforts that provide parents/caregivers with information, training, and support, such as home-visiting programs for high-risk groups and hospital-based education programs for new mothers (5)

Educating families and caregivers on injury prevention related to the accidental exposure to medications—the leading cause of child poisoning—and other risks at home, such as bathtubs, stoves, windows, and firearms (6, 7)

Promoting school policies that foster a positive school climate—where students feel safe, connected, and supported at school—which is associated with lower levels of student violence and high-risk behavior, including substance use (8)

Offering young people alternatives to violence while fostering connections to caring adults through community-based education, outreach, and mentoring (3, 9)